Squirting camera



Feb.17,1959 I Y A; E. GOLDFARB ETAL 2,373,884

SQUIRTING CAMERA Filed Nov. s, 1956 ADOLPH El GOLDFARB 8 HENRY G. SAFERS T E IN, IN V EN TOR.

HUEBNER, BEEHLER,

WORREL 8 HERZ/G, ATTORNEYS- United States Patent SQUIRTIN G CAMERA,Adolph E. Goldfarb, North Hollywood, and Henry G; Saperstein,LosAngeles, Calif.

Application November 5, 1956,;Serial No. 620,494

4 Claims. (-Cl.'222-78) .The present invention relates to a .toy liquidsquirting device, .andmore particularly toawater gun in a body roughusageandeconomical'mass production. This calls for relatively few parts,easily fabricated of'tough, low

cost materials, preferably by mass productionmethods, and readilyassembled with a minimum of labor.

Accordingly, it is an important object of the invention to provide aliquid squirting device of "rugged and economical construction. p

Another object is to provide a water gun simulating a camera designedforrough usage and economical mass production. I

A further object is to provide a water ,gun simulating a camera made ofa minimum number of parts, capable of inexpensive fabrication from.tough materials, .and

capable of ready assembly with the requirement of a minimum amount oflabor.

Additional objects will become apparent from the following description.

Stated in general terms, the liquid or water squirting camera of theinvention comprises the following. A barrel simulating a camera lensbarrel, is provided with a pinhole through a wall in the front endthereof simulating a lens. A resilient thimble of a plastic or rubberymaterial is positioned in the front end of the barrel to form aliquid-tight chamber communicating with the atmosphere through thepinhole. The barrel is slidably or telescopically associated with anactuator member. The actuator member in turn is provided with aprojection extending into the rear of the barrel to the thimble. As theactuator member is forced into the barrel, the projection forces theWall of the thimble toward the front end of the barrel, and liquid issqueezed from the chamber in the barrel through the pinhole to theatmosphere.

For reasons of economy in fabrication and assembly of the parts of theinvention we prefer to cast the barrel and camera body as a single unit,together with the front wall and any auxiliary, guide or slide means, ofa synthetic plastics material. Similarly, we prefer to cast the actuatormember, together with the projection and any auxiliary, guide, slide andchamber means, as a single unit of synthetic plastics material. Thethimble preferably is dimensioned to fit tightly in the barrel withoutthe use of cement.

A more detailed description of a specific embodiment of the invention isgiven with reference to the drawing wherein:

Figure 1 is a front elevational view showing an assembled camera watergun;

Figure 2 is a vertical sectional view taken on the line 2+-2 of Figure 1showing the camera gun barrel fully extended relative to the actuator;

2,873,884 Patented .Feb. 11,4959

Figure 3 is a cross-sectional view taken ,on the line 33 of Figure 2showing guide and slide means for the actuator and the barrel;

Figure 4 is a vertical sectional view similar .to that of Figure 2 butshowing the actuator pushed into the barrel as faras it will go;

-Figure Sis a partial vertical sectional view taken on the .line '5-5 ofFigurel showing structural features of. the

actuator; and

Figure 6 is a partial perspective view showing structural .details ofthe actuator.

,In the embodiment shown in the drawing, the barrel member 10 is .castas a single unit consisting of hollow gun orsimulated camera lens barrel.11, end wall or simulatedlens 12in the end of the barrel, a pinhole 13through the end wall 12, a guide slot 14 at the top rear of the barrel,and a simulated camera body 16. The barrel member 10 preferably is castfrom a tough synthetic plastics or synthetic .resins material.

Similarly, the actuator member 17 is castas a single unit consisting ofa cylindrical chamber '18, a guide member 19, and a projection .21. Theactuator member ment results from an exertion of radial forces at thebase .23 of the thimble because of the resiliency of the thimblematerial. .The engagement of the interior surface of the barrel issufiiciently tight to form a Water-tight seal and thus=a water chamber25 communicating with the atmosphere only through pinhole 13.

The slot 14 at the top ofthe barrel ,11 is provided at its rearward endwith a parallel slit 26 to impart resiliency to the top of the barreland the slot 14. This arrangement permits slit 26 to be spread so thatguide member 19 can be pushed through the slit and snapped into slot 14,as shown in Figure 3. The front end of guide member 19 is pointed forthis purpose. After being thus inserted, the cylindrical chamber 18 istelescopically slidable in barrel 11 between the forward end 28 and therearwardend 27 of the slot 14.

It will be observed that the camera water gun is a snap assembly withoutthe use of glue or outside fastening devices. The resilient, bulb orthimble 22 acts asa spring to push the actuator member 17 out of thebarrel 11 when finger pressure is released from the rear of theactuator. The thimble 22 acts as a water container, cylinder and pistondevice, and a return spring. It seals itself against the front end Wall12 and the sides of the barrel 11.

When actuator 18 is pushed into barrel 1!], elongate conical projection21 is forced against the wall of thimble 22 as shown in Figure 4. Thethimble wall is forced toward the front end of the barrel 11 and waterunder pressure is squirted from the water-containing chamber 24 into theatmosphere through pinhole 13. The water chamber 25 is refilled bydipping the front end of the barrel 11 beneath the surface of a body ofwater and releasing the pressure on actuator 17. The resiliency inthimble 22 forces its walls back to their normal, conical shape inbarrel 11, as shown in Figure 2, and water is sucked into water chamber25 through pinhole 13. Thus thimble 22 again is reloaded and barrel 11again is extended for squirting.

It will be observed that we have provided a liquid squirting device ofrugged, economical construction, designed for mass production at lowmaterial cost and for ready assembly at low labor cost.

tion in what we have conceived to be themost'practical and preferredembodiment, it is recognized that departures can be made therefromwithin the scope of our invention, which is not to be limited to thedetails disclosed herein, but is to be accorded the full scope of theclaims so as to embrace any and all equivalent structure.

What We claim is:

1. A liquid squirting device comprising a barrel provided with a pinholethrough a front wall thereof, a resilient thimble of generally conicaltype positioned in the front end of the barrel and forming with thefront wall thereof a liquid-tight chamber communicating with theatmosphere through the pinhole, and a projection means slidably mountedin the barrel and extending into the rear of the barrel to the thimblefor squeezing liquid from the chamber through the pinhole as theprojection means is forcefully slid into the barrel, said thimblenormally urging said projection means out of said barrel and toward saidrear thereof. r

2. A liquid squirting device comprising a barrel provided with a pinholethrough a front wall thereof, a resilient thimble of generally conicalshape positioned in the front end of the barrel and forming with thefront wall thereof a liquid-tight chamber communicating with theatmosphere through the pinhole, a simulated camera body integral withthe barrel, and a projection means slidably mounted on the camera bodyand extending into the rear of the barrel to the thimble for squeezingliquid from the chamber through the pinhole as the projection means isforcefully slid into the barrel, said thimble normally urging saidprojection means out of said barrel and toward said rear thereof.

3. A water gun comprising a barrel provided with a pinhole through afront wall thereof, a resilient thimble of generally conical shapepositioned coaxially with the barrel in the front end thereof with itsapex extending toward the rear of the barrel and its base sealing off aliquidtight chamber communicating with the atmosphere through thepinhole, a simulated camera body integral with the barrel, a generallyconical projection means slidably mounted on the barrel coaxially withthe thimble with its apex extending toward the front of the barrel forsqueezing water from the chamber through the pinhole as the projectionmeans is forcefully slid into the barrel, and a slot and guide meansassociated with the barrel and projection means for slidably associatingthe barrel with the projection means, said thimble normally urging saidprojection means out of said barrel and toward said rear thereof.

4. A camera water gun comprising a resilient thimble, a barrel memberand an actuator member telescopically mounted in the barrel member, thebarrel member being cast as a unit integral with a simulated camera bodyas a lens barrel and havinga wall at the front end of the barrelsimulating a lens and with a pinhole through the wall, a slit in therear end of the barrel serving as a snapin and guide means and aprotuberance on the actuator member for snapping into theslit andserving as a slide and stop means; the thimble being of generallyelongated conical shape and positioned coaxially with the barrel in thefront end thereof with its apex extending toward the rear of the barreland its annular base sealing off a liquidtight chamber communicatingwith the atmosphere through the pinhole; and the actuator member beingcast as a unit and having a cylindrical chamber for telescopicallysliding into the barrel; and a generally elongated conical re-entrantprojection extending from the rear wall of the cylindrical chambercoaxially with the thimble and with its apex adjacent that of thethimble when the actuator member is in its most withdrawn position, saidthimble normally urging said projection means out of said barrel andtoward said rear thereof.

References Cited in the file of this patent UNITED STATES PATENTS750,853 Heimann Feb. 2, 1904 2,513,506 Mendelson July 4, 1950 2,595,493Slaby et al. May 6, 1952

